Parent FAQ

Now that my daughter has joined Kappa Delta, what can she expect?

Upon accepting her bid to join Kappa Delta, your daughter will complete the six-week new member program. It will be an exciting time for your daughter—and a very busy one! She can expect to learn a lot about Kappa Delta and a lot about herself, too.

The members of the chapter will be sharing with her the pride they have in their chapter and in our sorority as a leader among all Greek groups for women. She will wear her KD letters for all to see, and she’ll learn about chapter traditions and those of the national organization. She will get guidance in academic matters and begin to experience the social aspects of being a Kappa Delta. She’ll find a support system of many sisters who care about her and want to help her succeed. We’ll encourage her to make the most of the opportunities Kappa Delta offers for the development of leadership abilities and life skills.

What are the benefits of joining Kappa Delta?

Kappa Delta offers each member endless opportunities to grow as a person, become more confident, and learn life skills that will prove invaluable throughout her lifetime. A commitment to academics, opportunities to work as a team, a focus on personal development — these elements make Kappa Delta much more than just another club. Encourage your daughter to take advantage of all that Kappa Delta has to offer.

Leadership Opportunities

Life in the chapter provides many ways for your daughter to grow as a leader and become involved in issues that are important to her. She will have the opportunity to discover her talents, perfect her abilities and develop new skills that will help her gain confidence and be her best self.

Campus Involvement
Life in Kappa Delta lends itself naturally to campus involvement and leadership. As a new member, your daughter will learn about the opportunities for campus involvement. During her new member education meetings, she will learn about the various groups, clubs and leadership organizations available to students on her campus. She will also be encouraged to talk with her KD sisters to find out what campus organizations they have joined. As always, her sisters are there to offer support and guidance.

Scholarships
To ensure that all members have the means to excel, the Kappa Delta Foundation awards over $170,000 in scholarships to members every year. Some of these are for general studies, while others are designated for specific fields.

Encourage your daughter to take advantage of this member benefit. Applications are available on the Kappa Delta website. KD scholarships are just one way that Kappa Delta puts an emphasis on academics and makes education a priority.

Internships
Today, having an internship experience is almost a requirement for breaking into a competitive job market. Kappa Delta is responding to this demand by providing unique internship opportunities for its members.

The Kappa Delta Foundation provides funding for Kappa Delta members to intern at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Art and Leadership Program for Girls in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the orthopaedic laboratory at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Refer to the Kappa Delta website for the most up-to-date information regarding the application process.

Community Service Opportunities
Altruism is a basic principle of Kappa Delta. Through our national philanthropies, Kappa Delta offers members numerous ways to build confidence in others and inspire action in the community. As a KD member, your daughter will have the chance to make a difference in the lives of girls by volunteering with Girl Scouts in her community and the chance to raise awareness and funds for Prevent Child Abuse America, another of KD’s national philanthropies.

Educational Meetings
Chapter meetings provide an organized way for every member to stay informed and engaged in chapter activities. It’s where goals for the chapter are set and where decisions are made. It’s also where members have opportunities to learn new skills and discover the world around them.

Many chapter meetings include educational workshops on topics such as risk management, academic excellence, confidence, community service and leadership. This is a time of learning and a time of sisterhood-building.

Special Initiatives
Kappa Delta is known for taking the lead in recognizing and addressing issues that are relevant to today’s woman. In 2009, Kappa Delta created the Confidence Coalition, a national movement to build confidence in women and girls. Individuals—both KDs and non-KDs—can sign the Confidence Pledge and participate in projects that raise awareness for the cause and impact our culture.

What are the expectations associated with membership in Kappa Delta?

The members of your daughter's chapter chose her because they found in her the kind of woman they want for a sister—someone with good character, a positive attitude and a commitment to sisterhood. As you might imagine, these expectations come with some important responsibilities.

No organization—especially one that involves as much intimacy as a sisterhood—can thrive without policies and standards. Kappa Delta’s standards range from behavior expectations to financial commitments. It’s important to note that the sorority’s policies are meant to be observed and its rules are meant to be obeyed. Failure to do so can result in disciplinary action, including lifting a new member’s pledge or placing an initiated member on bad standing, social probation, national probation or expulsion.

Behavior Expectations

Kappa Delta offers standards and guidance to help your daughter hold true to the values that have helped shape who she is today. The chapter helps members make good choices and holds them accountable. When members make mistakes, a designated chapter officer and a standards board meet with the member in a loving and caring environment to offer support and provide an opportunity for positive behavior change.

Academic Requirements

Kappa Delta expects its members to make academics a priority and sets standards that members are expected to meet. Each chapter sets a GPA minimum based on Panhellenic standards and the all-women’s average. If a member falls below the standard, she must sign a scholarship contract, which includes the loss of social privileges and an action plan for improvement. Any member failing to obtain the GPA required for good standing for three consecutive terms or five terms in total will be placed on national probation for failure to meet the minimum standards.

Attendance

Kappa Delta expects its members to be enthusiastic, informed and active participants in chapter business. To this end, your daughter will be required to attend chapter meetings regularly, ritualistic services as her membership status permits, recruitment activities and all other required chapter functions. It should go without saying that she is also required to attend her classes.

Financial Responsibility

The chapter operates within a budget that is based on revenue and expenses. The expenses are what help make the chapter run; the revenue is provided by payments from the members. The majority of dues and fees stay in the chapter to meet expenses related to recruitment, social activities, rent or mortgage payments and such. A minimal amount goes to the national office to cover administrative services, leadership support and national programming.

When a member fails to uphold her financial responsibilities, she directly affects her chapter sisters and indirectly affects the national organization. Chapters are instructed to initiate a 30-60-90-day warning process for new and initiated members who are in arrears in their payments. If a member does not pay her outstanding bill or make a contractual agreement to a payment plan after being in arrears for 90 days, she is subject to national probation. Out of respect for other sisters and the sorority itself, members must meet their financial obligations in a timely fashion.

Does Kappa Delta sell branded merchandise I can purchase for my daughter or myself?

You can purchase Kappa Delta apparel, stationery and other merchandise through the official Kappa Delta Boutique website. Many licensed vendors also sell KD-branded items.

You can honor your daughter and make a lasting impression on Kappa Delta by purchasing a commemorative brick inscribed with her name. The brick will be placed in the walkway leading up to Kappa Delta National Headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee, and your purchase goes to support the work of the Kappa Delta Foundation.